4.5.49 Forensic cleaning

 

WorkSafe can pay the reasonable costs for cleaning and decontaminating services incurred by immediate family members In relation to a work-related: • severe injury for which immediate inpatient treatment in hospital is received • eligible progressive disease • fatal injury a ‘family member’ means a partner, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of the worker or of the worker's partner. Note: this definition is not the same as a close family member. of the deceased worker to make the home safe and habitable again where the death:

“Home” includes:

  • the building in which a person lives or resides

  • buildings on the residential property, such as a shed or garage

  • structures attached or adjacent to the home such a balcony, veranda or pergola.

WorkSafe will pay up to a maximum of $5,000 towards forensic cleaning.

What WorkSafe will pay
  • tasks associated with:

    • cleaning and removing blood, bodily fluids, tissue remnants and other biohazardous material

    • sanitisation and disinfection to eliminate potential pathogens or contaminants

    • odour removal

    • disposal of biohazardous material and, if applicable, items irreparably damaged from biohazardous material.

  • the reasonable costs of cleaning and decontaminating the home where the injured worker received immediate medical treatment prior to being transported to hospital, passing away in transit or shortly after at the hospital

  • unattended deaths, where the worker passes away alone and goes undiscovered for an extended period of time

  • services provided by an accredited provider (complying with Australian and or state standards) and approved by WorkSafe.

What WorkSafe will not pay
  • the cost incurred by a third party who is not a family member

  • cleaning tasks (including time required to travel to/from or to perform the tasks) performed by a family member or third party, not being an accredited provider

  • ‘deceased estate’ clean up (the process of sorting through and clearing out the personal belongings in the home of the deceased worker)

  • hoarding clean up to remove excessive clutter and belongings

  • WorkSafe does not consider the following items to be part of the reasonable costs of a forensic clean:

    • cleaning tasks outside the list of what WorkSafe will pay

    • repair, restore, rebuild or replace of any structure or item damaged as a result of the injury, death or immediate medical treatment.

 

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